I was sipping my morning coffee in our dining room when all of a sudden nostalgia hit me. Staring at our living room, I suddenly remember all those years on how our home has evolved. From just having a couple of landline phones, we now have a Fiber-powered Smart Home, which is why it is necessary to have a good internet connection at home.
Table of Contents
Digital Reg’s Early Days of Tech and the Internet
Bulletin Board Systems and Dial-up
Our house was built in 1978, the same year I was born. Going to the 80s, we didn’t have much tech except for an Apple II computer and an Intellivision gaming console. Both machines do not require internet connections back then. In the early 90s, my brother received a Practical Peripherals modem. He connected it to our IBM PC-XT and that was his gateway to the Bulletin Board System (BBS), the predecessor of the World Wide Web internet. After a few years of using the modem, the modem was hit by lightning. There was no way to revive it, so we ended up purchasing a new Hayes modem. We used that same modem when we started trying a few dial-up Internet Service Providers (ISP) in 1997. In 1998, we settled for an ISP until 2002.
PLDT myDSL
In 2002, we switched to a PLDT myDSL connection which offers faster internet speeds than dial-up. I didn’t know how to set up my personal wireless internet back then so I only relied on connecting via LAN cables, until I acquired a wireless router in 2011 and said goodbye to wires. PLDT updated their issued router to wireless in 2013 and a little bit of speed boost.
I thought having a wireless broadband connection was all we needed at home, but as years pass by, other members of our household and extended members of the family also used the internet in our home. Having a lot of users connected to a dial-up line affects the overall speed. I have had an online work-from-home gig since 2010, and having a stable connection is an important requirement.
PLDT Home Fibr and WiFi Mesh Systems
The first day of summer in 2017 was like Christmas Day for me. PLDT technicians arrived and told me they were going to install a PLDT Home Fiber line. I was ecstatic knowing I would finally enjoy super fast and stable internet. It helped me upload my videos faster on YouTube, as well as enjoy gaming with my PS4 and gaming laptop.
This was all fine until I realized that the Fiber connection is only good if I am within its coverage area at the ground floor. While I can still have a WiFi signal in my room on the second floor, it wasn’t stable enough and there were dead spots that hindered my connection.
PLDT loaned me a set of Google WiFi and admittedly I was spoiled by its improved coverage. It made my upload and download speeds faster and eliminated the dead spots of our second floor. I can even play YouTube insider the shower without any hiccups!
This summer, PLDT sent me a new set of TP Link Deco X55 Mesh systems and it boosted my upload and download streams thanks to WiFi 6. The Deco X55 was very helpful because I now have a lot of smart devices that rely on an internet connection. In my room alone, I have my smart cameras, Mi Smart TV, PLDT Stream TV, Sony Playstation 4, CCTV, my laptop, tablets and phones. I won’t be able to connect everything without the WiFi 6 Mesh.
A Good Internet Connection is a MUST in the Digital Age
Just like mobile phones and computers, a good internet connection used to be a luxury, but I now believe that it is a necessity. Like what I’ve explained above, a person in the Digital Age owns multiple smart devices that require internet connectivity. Imagine if I have an unreliable connection at home, how would I watch Netflix, Lionsgate Plus or YouTube on my Smart TV? Or how will I check what’s going on in my home if I couldn’t connect to our Smart Cameras? How will I make a decent phone call through VOIP apps if there are dead spots?
Now speaking of the Digital Age, let’s talk about how our family members NEED a good internet connection at home. I have two daughters who are in hybrid classes. They use the Zoom app and Google Classroom to attend their virtual classes. Working parents like me can also be on a hybrid setup. Whenever I have to stay at home, I am still able to conduct virtual meetings via Zoom and Google Meet, or work-related calls through Viber and Facebook Messenger. On my other business as technology site founder/editor, once in a while I upload short clips to our Facebook, TikTok accounts as well as long form videos to our YouTube account. Sometimes I receive large media files from brand partners and they also need a fast download connection.
Having a good internet connection also applies to leisure activities at home. In the past, my dad relied on cookbooks and cooking shows on TV for recipes. In today’s Digital Age, I simply make a search on the internet for recipes and YouTube videos for a more specific visual guide. I can call my best friend based in Los Angeles or cousin in Vancouver via Viber. Thanks to my Fiber connection, I don’t have to pay for IDD charges. My daughters watch Netflix or YouTube on their smartphones or tablets, while I usually watch them on our Smart TV. As a stress reliever, I play PC games on my laptop or fire up my Sony Playstation.
Now that I’m the head of the family, I just couldn’t believe the transformation of our 45-year old house into a futuristic smart home. Soon enough I’ll be installing IoT (Internet of Things) switches so I can control them through our Home Fiber on my smartphone, whenever, wherever I am.
Whether your family only has a Smart TV, laptops, and mobile phones at home or invested in a complete Smart Home setup, the bottom line is we all need a good internet connection in our household. Only PLDT Home Fiber can make this possible based on my 7-year experience as a Fiber subscriber.
Join PLDT Home’s OMG One Million Giveaway Promo
If you are now convinced to have a good internet connection, then I strongly suggest subscribing to a PLDT Home Fibr plan! In fact, now is a good time to do so, because PLDT Home will have the opportunity to win as much as P1 million cash and other big prizes through its One Million Giveaway (OMG) promo.
The promo is open to new subscribers of PLDT Home Fiber Plan 1699 (or higher) who apply for and have their connections installed from May 15 to July 31, 2024. The grand prize of P1 million will be awarded to one (1) lucky winner, with ten (10) subscribers receiving P100,000 each, and 50 others winning free PLDT Home Fiber plan for a year.
For more information visit www.pldthome.com/one-million-giveaway
